C. CONWAY F.D. HOSTS EMERGENCY PLANNING SESSION

THE CHIEF OF THE CENTER CONWAY FIRE DEPT. SAYS ORGANIZERS WILL TRY TO GET FEDERAL GRANT MONEY TO SUPPORT A MASS CASUALTY DRILL PLANNED FOR 2013.

RAY LEAVITT SAYS A REGIONAL PLANNING MEETING WAS HELD TUESDAY AT HIS FIRE STATION TO DETERMINE WHAT RESOURCES WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THE EXERCISE.

PARTICIPANTS WILL INCLUDE ALL FIRE DEPARTMENTS IN CONWAY – AS WELL AS DEPARTMENTS FROM BARTLETT, JACKSON AND MADISON. FIREFIGHTERS AND RESCUE PERSONNEL FROM FRYEBURG AND BROWNFIELD, MAINE WILL ALSO TAKE PART.

LEAVITT SAYS THE CONWAY SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS GENEROUSLY DONATED A SCHOOL BUS FOR THE TRAINING EVENT – AND WHEN IT IS CONDUCTED IN THE SPRING, IT WILL INVOLVE A SIMULATED EMERGENCY ON THE BUS WITH A NUMBER OF STUDENTS.

THE EXACT DRILL WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE NUMBER OF ASSETS PLANNERS CAN CONTRIBUTE. LEAVITT CALLS IT AN ONGOING TRAINING SCENARIO AND SAYS SOME FIREFIGHTERS WILL GET TRAINING FOR IT OCT. 15.

THE CHIEF SAYS USING THE BUS WILL ALLOW FOR LARGE SCALE TRAINING THAT HASN’T BEEN DONE FOR MORE THAN TWO DECADES.

LEAVITT WANTS TO GET THE WORD OUT TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC NOW THEY SHOULDN’T PANIC OR BE ALARMED IF THEY SHOULD SEE A SCHOOL BUS ON ITS SIDE DURING THE DRILL.